A Brief Review of "The Brothers Bloom"

[Daniel J Casper]

By Daniel J Casper from The Pursuit,cross-posted by MetaBlog

A new piece has been added to the annals of romantic literature and its name is "The Brothers Bloom." In keeping with the spirit of romanticism, this story is about the necessity of man to make choices he can live with. These choices are the only options for him to obtain happiness and fufillment, therefore he must discover them - and then act. What happens when a man defaults on this? The answer lies in the character of Bloom: a neurotic self torn by inner-doubt and plagued with unhappiness. Due to Bloom's own lack of certainty and conviction, he allows his brother to plot his life and thus he denies his own desires, leading him to this state. Bloom's inner conflict is present from start to finish in this story, which not only generates most of the suspense present in the script, but allows for an impressive climax which concretizes this theme perfectly. Each central character in the story achieves their highest values, in whatever variation, by virtue of their choices, an important moral conclusion which Bloom arrives at because of, ironically, his brother's plot. While this might seem self-defeating of the theme, it is not: Bloom's conclusion is wholly his own, and while his brother might have given him the concretes which led to this, it is Bloom's individual action which earns him the love of a woman and his own happiness. Even his brother, whose plot led to an unforeseen complication, earns his own happiness, paid for by his brother's new self-awareness. The plot is a testament to the intense devotion one should have for one's own values.

Perhaps the greatest character on the screen is that of Penelope, whose beautiful innocence and intelligence shines as a sort of beacon that not only leads Bloom to a renewed love of existence, but is a case study in hero-worship. To her, Bloom is the adventure which her life lacked - an opportunity to employ the skills and hobbies she acquired in isolation, in service to the man she loves. Her desire and actions are unashamed and consistent, and better, she is explicitly aware of this. Despite her lack of previous dealings with men, she, by virtue of her intelligence, is able to pin-point Bloom's inner conflict which she describes as a sort of "constipation of the soul." This is a perfect summation of Bloom's own frustation with the discovery and pursuit of what he actually wants. She loves Bloom so much that even when he is about to become the victim of this unresolved conflict, she seeks him out and tells him exactly what he needs to hear: that he is in love with her. Bloom's own actions, which he had come to doubt, demonstrate this, and it is at this moment that he comes to the realization that not only is she correct, but that he finally has a personal stake in his own life.

This realization does not garuntee Bloom his happiness - he is still required to act for it. Yet this realization gives Bloom the fuel and the reasoning necessary to overcome his chronic self-dobut and make the correct decision for his happiness at the necessary moment. This thematic message is repeated in several variations throughout the movie, but it is best stated in the last line of Penelope: "We're going to live like we're telling the best story in the world." This is the only proper approach to existence for a man, and "The Brothers Bloom" is an example of how it rewards him. That experience is well worth the price of admission.

View the full article